PM: No toll hike for KL-Karak, East Coast for 5 years
Category: Publication - The Edge Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister says there will be no toll hike for the Kuala Lumpur-Karak and phase one of the East Coast highway for five years, effective from May this year following a government request for concessionaires to reduce the burden on the rakyat.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak said on Friday, Jan 28 that the concession would not be renewed and that there would be no compensation for the arrears.
He said it was the government’s objective to review the cost of living including transportation costs to reduce the burden on the rakyat.
The Prime Minister had asked the concessionaires to review their toll structure for the respective concessions to reduce the burden on the rakyat.
In response to the government’s request, Najib said two corporate figures, who are also the largest shareholders in a concessionaire, had come forward to provide a restructuring plan via the acquisition of the concession assets.
“Following this proposal, I am pleased to inform that there will be no toll hike for five years for the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and also Phase One of the East Coast Highway which will be owned by the two corporate figures.
“At the same time, I requested that the concession period be not extended and more importantly there will be no compensation to be paid by the government for the arrears in the toll review,” he said.
Najib said the proposal would involve the termination of the toll concession for the East-West Highway connecting the Salak interchange and Taman Connaught interchange, KL ahead of the scheduled closure, which is 2018.
Vehicles using the highway will no longer need to pay toll but the toll closure will take effect in May this year upon the completion of documentation.
Najib also urged other concession holders to also implement similar initiatives for the rakyat’s benefit.
--- Back to News Listing ---